New drywall recycling
New drywall (also called gypsum) is accepted for recycling at the Vancouver South Transfer Station and Vancouver Landfill.
New drywall includes unfinished cuts of drywall without tape, mud, paint, or texture coating from new construction and was never installed (also called "cut offs").
Each load of new drywall must be:
- Easily accessible for inspection by staff prior to off-loading
- Accompanied by a signed Declaration and Acknowledgment PDF file (42 KB), which is also available from the Transfer Station and Landfill weigh scales.
Accepted quantities and disposal rates for new drywall
| New drywall | Vancouver South Transfer Station | Vancouver Landfill |
|---|---|---|
| Limit per customer | 1/2 sheet or 4' x 4' | Level pick-up |
| Rate | $10 flat fee (transaction fee included) | $150 per tonne (plus $5 transaction fee) $15 minimum fee (transaction fee included) |
Warning
Anyone attempting to separate mud from drywall is at high risk of being exposed to asbestos.
Used drywall disposal
Residents: drop off used drywall at the Landfill only
Used residential drywall (including pre-1990 drywall) is accepted for disposal at the Vancouver Landfill from residents that have removed the drywall from their homes and transported it to the Landfill. It does not need to be date stamped or accompanied by test results. It can contain asbestos.
Used drywall from contractors and businesses is not accepted.
Each load of used residential drywall must be:
- Delivered by the homeowner to the Landfill in a non-commercial vehicle. You will be asked to show your driver's licence, so the source of the drywall can be recorded.
- Double-bagged and sealed in plastic bags that are 6 mil thick (a mil is a thousandth of an inch) before arriving at the Landfill. Each bag must be individually sealed (use instructions below), and the outer bag labelled ‘Drywall’. Labels are available at the landfill weigh scales.
3 mil bags and 7 mil contractor woven bags do not meet our requirements.
For a list of retailers that sell 6 mil bags that meet our requirements read the Drywall Policy PDF file (125 KB).
Instructions for sealing each bag
- Twist the unused top portion of the bag into a tail. Seal the base of the tail with duct tape.
- Take the leftover twisted tail section of the bag and bend it around to make a loop. Attach it to the base of the tail using duct tape.
- Place the first bag in the second bag, and repeat steps 1 and 2.
Accepted quantities and disposal rates for used residential drywall
| Used drywall | Vancouver South Transfer Station | Vancouver Landfill |
|---|---|---|
| Limit per customer | Not accepted | 10 bags per day, 5 times per year |
| Rate | $200 per tonne (plus $5 transaction fee) $15 minimum fee (transaction fee included) |
If you have a load containing new drywall and double-bagged used drywall, each type of drywall will have to be weighed and dropped off separately for tracking purposes.
Used drywall and asbestos
Drywall installed before 1990 may contain or be contaminated with asbestos in the tape and mud. It should not be disturbed or removed without protective equipment.
Learn about the risks from and proper handling of potentially asbestos-containing material from these resources:
